Baseball's Back: Spring Training Preview

February 09, 2003

Joe Torre is known for his people skills. The Yankees manager will need them this season. He'll have to tell a veteran starting pitcher he is going to the bullpen and explain to a veteran outfielder why he is on the bench.

And he must listen to George Steinbrenner. Even in the era of taxes on payroll, Steinbrenner said the heck with fiscal sanity and spent a lot of money. Don't expect him to be quiet. And with the signing of Hideki Matsui, the Japanese media will be all over the place.

It will be a difficult spring for Torre, who has to manage the madness, all of which starts when pitchers and catchers report Wednesday in Tampa, Fla.

Meanwhile, the Mets have a new manager in Art Howe and are hoping a last-place finish in the National League East can be quickly forgotten. What won't be soon forgotten are those orange batting practice jerseys recently unveiled.

The Red Sox begin the Theo Epstein era. The youngest baseball general manager in history has assembled a front office staff of young minds and venerable executives who have implemented a philosophy called ``the Red Sox way.'' The old way hasn't produced a World Series champion since 1918.

Epstein won't be the only new face in Fort Myers. Among the players: Jeremy Giambi, Todd Walker, Bill Mueller, Ramiro Mendoza and David Ortiz. Still, Epstein, 29, will be younger than all but a handful on the Opening Day roster.